Large air movers, e.g., fans, used in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) applications, require routine maintenance. In some settings, such as in commercial buildings, such fans are mounted directly over openings in the building side walls or roof through which the fans exhaust or intake air.
Conventionally, access to such fans is designed to take place on the side of the building on which the part(s) of the fan (usually the motor and/or fan blade) are located. Thus, if the fan motor is positioned mostly on the inside of the building, then the motor is designed to be serviced from the inside of the building. Conversely, for a fan that is mounted to the outside of the building, then the fan is designed to be serviced from outside the building. Servicing the fan can require moving it axially from away from the opening and/or pivoting it away from the opening. In any case, substantial additional space is required for this service or access position of the fan, in addition to the space it occupies in its normal operating position.
In some applications, it is not convenient or possible to provide such additional space. In other applications, providing access to the fan in its access position poses risks to maintenance personnel (e.g., if personnel must work at great heights within the inside of the building). It would be helpful to provide alternative solutions to accessing fans for maintenance and other purposes.